


friends don't treat me like you do

by internetakeover (nymeriahale)



Series: phanweek 2015 [4]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-05-02 08:30:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5241638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nymeriahale/pseuds/internetakeover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why had Dan agreed to this? Pretending to be Phil’s boyfriend at his ex’s wedding had seemed like a nice idea at first, a way to meet some of Phil’s old university friends while helping him avoid humiliation, but already Dan’s on edge. If Dan allows himself to relax for a day, lets himself watch Phil as much as he wants, touch Phil as much as he wants, carry on their flirtatious banter when normally he’d laugh it off... he’s worried about what Phil might see.</p>
            </blockquote>





	friends don't treat me like you do

**Author's Note:**

> this is my fill for the sfw prompt for day 4 of phanweek, fake dating!
> 
> this fic is a couple of firsts for me! it's my first 'getting together' fic, and my first attempt to write from Phil's perspective (as much as anything is from anyone's perspective in a third person fic), so i really hope you like it!
> 
> title from friends by ed sheeran (if you haven't listened to this song and cried about dan and phil then idk what you're doing with your life, but you need to get on that)
> 
> also available on [tumblr](http://internetakeover.tumblr.com/post/133505059252/friends-dont-treat-me-like-you-do-summary-why)

‘Well, don’t you scrub up nicely,’ Phil teases, running his eyes blatantly up and down Dan’s body.

‘Yeah, yeah,’ Dan dismisses, rolling his eyes and trying to pretend Phil’s words don’t actually please him.

‘Can’t I compliment my boyfriend?’ Phil asks lightly, exiting his flat and locking the door behind him.

Dan reaches out to shove him into the wall, but otherwise ignores Phil’s words. They settle into casual conversation on the walk to the train station, but internally Dan is freaking out.

Why had he agreed to this? Pretending to be Phil’s boyfriend at his ex’s wedding had seemed like a nice idea at first, a way to meet some of Phil’s old university friends while helping him avoid humiliation, but already Dan’s on edge.

He’s not bothered about pulling it off, the internet has made it clear that their history looks romantic enough as it is, and they’ve always been flirty, but he is worried about Phil. If Dan allows himself to relax for a day, lets himself watch Phil as much as he wants, touch Phil as much as he wants, carry on their flirtatious banter when normally he’d laugh it off... he’s worried about what Phil might see.

‘Are you alright?’ Phil checks, irritatingly just creating a stronger basis for Dan’s fears. ‘You don’t have to do this, you know. You could always just come as my best friend, or not at all if you don’t want to.’

‘It’s fine,’ Dan shakes his head, tries to shake his worries away too. He’s decided now, bailing would look suspicious. ‘Wouldn’t want you to have to look too pathetic in front of your uni mates,’ he grins.

‘Hey, don’t be mean!’ Phil goes to shove him but Dan has already danced out of reach, laughing.

Phil lets out a war cry and takes chase, finally tackling Dan into the side of a building, keeping Dan wrapped up in his arms as they both succumb to giggles. Yeah, Dan’s really not worried about them pulling this off.

~

By some minor miracle they actually arrive at the venue fairly early, despite Phil almost sending them on the wrong bus. Phil spots a couple of his old housemates as soon as they enter the room, reaches back and takes Dan’s hand to lead him over.

‘Sappy,’ Dan mutters, and Phil rolls his eyes. If they’re doing this, they might as well do it well.

‘Hi guys!’ Phil greets, taking seats on the edge of their cluster. ‘Dan, this is Joanne and Eliot, who I used to live with. Guys, this is Dan, my boyfriend,’ he almost blushes at the introduction, mostly surprised by how easily it trips off his tongue.

‘Oh, we’ve heard all about you,’ Joanne smiles at Dan before launching into her own introductions. 

As introductions wind their way into small talk, Phil finds himself immensely glad that he had asked Dan to come with him, asked him to pose as his boyfriend. Joanne and Eliot’s stories wind around their partners in a comfortable way that makes Phil ache a little with jealousy, but Dan seems to have no problems telling stories that include Phil in the same way. Job talk could have been awkward, too. Joanne and Eliot seem very willing to accept YouTube, but are ultimately still baffled by the concept. It’s lucky that Dan’s on hand with a defence that Phil knows he must have given to his own parents, and Phil is so grateful for the ease that his company brings.

It isn’t long before the arrival of the bride is announced and everyone stands, quieting down. Phil nearly jumps when Dan taps the back of his hand with his knuckles, glances over to see Dan sending him a concerned look. Phil’s been excited to meet up with his former housemates for the past week, and Dan’s probably wondering why he’d been a little quiet. Phil doesn’t think anyone else would have noticed. This isn’t the time, so he just shakes his head a little, takes Dan’s hand and squeezes it in gratitude. 

~

The reception is just a few rooms away from the ceremony hall, giving Dan no time to get nervous before he’s thrown into another round of introductions. They’ve been separated from Joanne and Eliot in the crowd, and end up waiting in the awkward queue to congratulate the bride and groom surrounded by complete strangers, who of course want to start up a conversation.

The older couple behind them seem pretty confused when Phil - after introducing Dan as his boyfriend - casually throws in that he had dated the bride for a couple of months in university, and Dan can’t help but tense up. They don’t say anything, and Dan sighs a little at himself. He wishes he could get past tiny things like that without reacting, the way Phil seems too. Phil sees the way Dan’s shoulders tense, or maybe just knows Dan well enough to expect it, either way the reassuring hand he runs down Dan’s back is much appreciated.

The happy couple seem mostly tired when Dan and Phil finally reach them, probably regretting inviting so many people to their wedding. Still, Nicole brightens when she sees Phil, smiling widely and pulling him into a tight hug. Dan can’t blame her, Phil’s hugs are the best.

She smiles at Dan when Phil introduces him, pulls him into a hug he wasn’t quite ready for. ‘I hope you’re taking good care of him,’ Nicole says when she’s pulled away, holding Dan at arms length. ‘He doesn’t think he needs it, but he does,’ she confides.

‘I try,’ Dan offers, a little nervously. He’s glad when she moves on, introduces her husband and accepts their congratulations before directing them to their table.

‘Do you think I need looking after?’ Phil asks lightly.

As Dan considers it, he catches himself tugging on Phil’s arm to stop him from walking into the edge of a table. ‘I mean, a little,’ he says, starting to grin. They reach their seats before Phil can push further, and Dan is pleased to see they’re sat with the group he’d met before, though four other seats are so far empty.

‘So,’ Joanne leans towards Dan the instant they’ve taken their seats, her eyes bright. ‘How did you guys get together?’

‘Uh,’ they reply in unison, glancing at each other, and suddenly Dan regrets dismissing the need for a background story last night. 

‘Dan stalked me,’ Phil blurts out, and Dan instantly hits him in the shoulder, possibly a little harder than he would have meant to.

‘Phil!’ Dan scolds, unable to believe he’d just said that.

‘Ow!’ Phil exclaims, rubbing his shoulder. ‘That hurt!’

‘Okay, starting to actually worry about your relationship here, please reassure me,’ Eliot jokes.

Dan takes a moment to glare at Phil, ends up softening and stroking his arm in apology in the face of Phil’s puppy dog expression. ‘I was subscribed to him on YouTube,’ he explains. ‘We got chatting on twitter, then Skype, and now here we are!’ Dan summarises briefly, thinking he can’t go far wrong sticking to the basic facts.

‘’Got chatting on twitter’,’ Phil scoffs. ‘You say that like you weren’t endlessly messaging me, complimenting my videos, telling me you had a crush on me-’

‘Please, please stop,’ Dan begs, reaching out to pinch Phil’s thigh under the table so he knows Dan’s serious, leaving his hand there for a moment so it doesn’t come across too harsh. Dan hadn’t thought Phil remembered that, actually, hadn’t even known for sure that he’d seen that particular tweet. If he had known, he certainly would have hoped that Phil had forgotten by now. Learning that Phil has known, and remembers it after all this time, is quite disconcerting.

‘Alright,’ Phil rolls his eyes, but places a hand on Dan’s under the table in a silent apology, directs the conversation to the others again.

Dan sits back and lets Phil talk, glad that he seems to be feeling more sociable again, and allows himself to enjoy Phil absentmindedly lacing their fingers on his thigh. Dan’s not quite sure why Phil’s doing it. It could still be a form of apology, or of reassurance, or Phil could just have lost track of his limbs, a very real possibility. Either way, this is the first touch that feels out of the norm for their relationship, and Dan plans to enjoy it while it lasts.

~

Phil starts when a gentle coughing comes over the sound system, prods Dan in the thigh when he feels him shake with silent laughter. Phil only remembers speeches as deathly dull from weddings he attended as a child, but he wonders if it might be different now he actually knows at least one of the people getting married. He feels a little bad for Dan, though.

The first two speeches, from best man and maid of honour - neither of whom Phil knows - are just as bad as Phil remembers. Still, he finds himself leaning forwards in interest when Nicole stands.

‘David,’ she begins, pauses as if to collect herself. ‘I’ve barely known you for four years, but it feels like a lifetime,’ Phil’s relieved no one’s yet drunk enough to heckle at that. ‘We were best friends first,’ Nicole goes on, and Phil sneaks a glance at Dan without conscious thought. Dan seems to be on the same wavelength, and ducks his head blushing when Phil catches him. Phil smiles, turning back to Nicole.

‘From the instant we met this has been the easiest relationship in my life, even in our worst fights I’ve never doubted that we’d be laughing about it all ten hours later, if not sooner. Your most annoying habit is making me laugh in the middle of a... let’s call it a discussion,’ she jokes, and Phil laughs with her, knowing the feeling. ‘But it’s also my favourite thing about you,’ she says softly, and this time Phil isn’t laughing. He glances at Dan quickly, then away, focussing firmly on Nicole.

‘When we first met we were both mild wrecks, let’s be honest,’ Phil hears Dan chuckle softly next to him, isn’t sure if the smile that moves his lips comes from Nicole’s words or the sound. ‘I won’t expose all your darkest fears here,’ Nicole goes on, ‘But it’s safe to say that some of my proudest moments have been helping you overcome them, even more than overcoming anything that has held me back. When I finally realised that I liked you as more than a friend, that was one of the things that tipped me off.

‘I’ve always known you were gorgeous - objectively, of course - but there finally came a day when I realised that I looked at you more to share a moment, or see your smile, than out of any aesthetic appreciation I might have used as an excuse. You’ve always been the one I reached to first, and as true as that was emotionally, I mean it physically too. I’ve always been a tactile person, but with you I found myself reaching out constantly, without any real excuse. I know you’re much less tactile, and it was realising that you were reaching back that let me believe I might have a chance.

‘The transition from friends to dating was unbelievably easy. We already knew everything about each other, and that helped, but I don’t think we’d ever realised - or I hadn’t - just how much we acted like a couple even before we got together. We came as a unit long before we officially were one, and I’m sure that quite a few people in this room have stories to tell about mistaking us for a couple months before we realised it ourselves,’ there’s a round of cheering at that, but Phil can barely hear it under the buzzing in his ears.

Everything Nicole is saying sounds incredibly familiar. The best friends reference was a funny coincidence, but this... Phil claps mechanically when everyone else does, barely notices Dan turning to him in time to return his smile. Dan, who’s pretending to be his boyfriend for the day. Dan, with whom this has felt far too easy. Dan, who he wouldn’t want to be here without.

How has Phil not noticed this before? They’re best friends, sure, but even the situation they’re in right now suddenly seems to make his feelings blindingly obvious. From the moment the invitation had arrived, Phil had wanted Dan to come with him. Not looking pathetic had been a valid reason for the facade they’re putting on, perhaps, but Phil had wanted Dan along in any context, had wanted to introduce him to his old friends, even to show him off.

He’d never worried about his friends being confused about the nature of their relationship, either, Phil realises. They all know about Dan, yet Phil had never thought that they might have seen their relationship as purely platonic, as it is, and have questioned their story. He’d never doubted that they could act the part wherever necessary, he’d even told Dan that it wouldn’t require too much acting, for goodness sake!

Phil is jerked out of his thoughts by another round of applause; apparently David’s speech has finished. He joins in the applause, feeling kinda bad for missing it, but still too shaken to be really sorry. He jumps at the touch of a hand on his elbow.

‘Are you alright?’ Dan asks, quietly.

‘Yeah, fine,’ Phil attempts a smile, knows at once that it hasn’t fooled Dan. ‘It’s nothing,’ he insists, turning to say something, anything, to Eliot on his other side. 

Phil’s going to need time and space to process this, he knows, so of course he would come to the realisation on the one night that he can’t escape Dan’s company. Still, he supposes he might as well make the most of it. He doesn’t quite think their story will be turning out like Nicole and David’s, he’s pretty sure any crush Dan did have on amazingphil died when he got to know Phil Lester.

~

Dan’s not sure what’s got into Phil. He’d been odd when they arrived, then so weird during the speeches that Dan had almost wondered if he was jealous, and now he’s bouncing between spacing out and being all over Dan more than is strictly necessary. Dan can’t say he minds too much, but it is odd.

‘Dance with me?’ 

Dan looks up to see Phil holding out a hand, smiling hopefully at him, apparently having resurfaced from the depths of his mind again. And oh, this is a bad idea. This whole night had been a bad idea, Dan’s come to realise. He’s been enjoying posing as Phil’s boyfriend far too much, taking advantage in a way he’ll be amazed if Phil hasn’t noticed, and he has no idea what they’re going to say to Phil’s friends if they ever meet up again. And as if all that wasn’t bad enough, Nicole and David’s speeches had hit a little too close to home, left him hopeful in a way he’d tried to dismiss in 2009.

Still, there’s no way Dan can reasonably refuse, given the roles they’re playing. ‘Of course,’ he replies, smiling at Phil and taking his hand. He’s just relieved it’s not a particularly slow song.

Clearly, Dan shouldn’t have thought that. Florence and the Machine carries them through their parting comments to their table, but fades into Bruno Mars as they set foot on the dance floor.

‘Oh,’ Phil huffs in apparent surprise, but gamely wraps an arm around Dan’s waist, pulling him close and bringing his other hand to rest between Dan’s shoulder blades.

‘Well, this is a little awkward,’ Dan mutters, resting both of his hands lightly on Phil’s hips.

‘Only if we make it,’ Phil replies. ‘Besides, we’ve cuddled closer than this watching films before,’ he points out, and Dan can’t exactly deny it.

‘Nicole seems lovely,’ Dan says after a moment of quiet, unwilling to let himself fade into the moment too much. ‘It was a beautiful speech.’

‘It was,’ Phil agrees quietly, seeming preoccupied again.

‘Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?’ Dan asks once the silence between them has dragged out for the whole chorus, unable to come up with any good reason for Phil’s behaviour. His only fear is that Phil might have worked out how he feels. Still, they wouldn’t be dancing like this if that was had truly bothered Phil to this extent, and Dan had never thought it would have, anyway. Any issues would stem from awkwardness and embarrassment, or Dan failing at dealing with the rejection, he knows Phil would never react too badly to it.

‘I... probably,’ Phil frowns, the answer seeming to trouble him, and now Dan’s really confused.

‘Are you going to do it now?’ Dan prompts.

‘No, mister impatient, I’m not!’ Phil digs his fingers into Dan’s side, just where he’s ticklish, and Dan ends up whacking his chin on Phil’s shoulder as his body tries to curl up to protect itself.

‘Ow,’ he whines, deliberately obnoxious.

‘Kiss it better!’ Nicole calls out as she whirls past with a child apparently lacking in any sense of rhythm, and Dan freezes.

‘Can I?’ Phil asks softly. Dan snaps his eyes up to Phil’s in surprise, can only see quiet hope there. He nods, not trusting himself to speak.

Phil does kiss it better first, taking Dan’s jaw in a gentle hand and dropping a soft kiss onto his chin. Dan smiles involuntarily at the brush of Phil’s lips, is still smiling a little when Phil brings their lips together properly.

Dan should have been expecting this from Phil’s reaction, he realises, but somehow he wasn’t. Dan freezes again, has barely collected himself enough to kiss back by the time Phil pulls away.

‘Sorry,’ Phil mutters, and Dan feels any hope he had had for the situation drain away.

‘’S fine,’ he replies quietly, shuffling closer so Phil can’t see his expression. Their first kiss, realistically the only kiss they were ever going to have, and Dan had messed it up so much he hadn’t even managed to kiss back. He feels a lump rising in this throat, swallows it down. 

He can’t do this.

~

Phil glances around the room, worried. He’d lost track of Dan when Nicole had pulled him away after their dance, and that was about 10 minutes ago. He really hopes the kiss hadn’t bothered Dan too much, he knows now that he shouldn’t have done it. He can’t say he regrets it, but he shouldn’t have done it.

‘Hey, have you seen Dan?’ he asks Eliot.

‘Think he snuck outside after your dance,’ Eliot tells him. ‘You weren’t whispering dirty things into his ear were you? He looked like he needed to cool down.’

‘Thanks,’ Phil replies distractedly, only really paying attention to the information.

It doesn’t take him long to find Dan now he knows where to look, he’s visible from the main doors. 

‘Hey,’ Phil greets quietly, trying not to startle Dan as he approaches from behind. ‘You okay?’

‘Yeah, fine,’ Dan replies quickly, but Phil knows that thick tone.

‘Hey, hey, Dan?’ Phil rushes around, sees that he’s right, Dan has been crying. ‘What’s wrong?’ he approaches Dan, hands fluttering as he tries to decide whether to hug or just touch his shoulder, but Dan waves him off, turning around to hide his face again.

‘Oh, it’s nothing, you know weddings make me emotional,’ Dan attempts to wave it off.

‘No, Dan, come on,’ Phil’s not stupid, Dan might have teared up during the ceremony but he’s been just fine since. ‘Talk to me, please.’

‘Not now,’ Dan tries next, bringing his hands to his face.

‘No, if it’s upsetting you this much we have to talk about it,’ Phil states, finding that this is one area he won’t back down on. ‘Did I do something wrong?’ he goes on when Dan stays quiet. ‘I shouldn’t have kissed you, I know you’re still a bit shaky on-’

‘God, no, it wasn’t that!’ Dan insists. ‘Not like that, don’t be stupid.’

‘What was it then? Dan, please?’ Phil asks, wondering what that means. 

‘It’s-’ Dan takes a deep breath, turns around. His eyes are red, and there are tear tracks on his face, but his whole expression exudes determination. ‘I’m in- I fancy you,’ he says firmly, confidently, though his determination drops as he stutters. He looks vulnerable in that moment, before he focuses again, and Phil is speechless. He thinks his mouth might actually have dropped open, as ridiculous as that is.

‘I have ever since I got to know you, and this was-’ Dan seems to struggle for words, shakes his head. ‘I know you don’t feel the same, okay? It’s fine, I just let myself hope for a bit, and then you apologised for kissing me, and it was-’ he cuts himself off again. ‘I’ve just drunk too much. It’s fine, everything’s fine, I regret telling you this, let’s never talk about it again, I’m going to-’

Phil finally manages to move, grabs Dan’s arm as he walks past. ‘Dan. Dan, I’m-’

‘Don’t tell me you’re sorry, please,’ Dan laughs bitterly, tries to shake Phil off.

‘No, I-I’m in love with you,’ Phil manages, and now it’s Dan’s turn to freeze. ‘I didn’t realise until the stupid speeches, because I’m an idiot, but I’m-’ he gestures hopelessly, trusting Dan won’t run away now. Not if the smile growing on his face is anything to go by. ‘You’re the most important person in my life, have been for ages, and I’m in love with you.’

Dan opens his mouth, closes it again. It appears to be a good kind of speechless, but Phil would still really appreciate a response, given that he’d confessed to loving Dan - something he’d only fully realised in that moment - and Dan only to fancying him. He’s considering just kissing Dan and seeing how it goes, when Dan finally manages words.

‘I love you too,’ Dan pauses, laughs. ‘I’m in love with you, that’s what I cut off, I thought it was too intense, I- _Phil_ ,’ Dan sounds almost awed, rushes forwards into Phil’s arms. Phil happily holds him tight, mirroring their position from dancing but this time burying his face in Dan’s hair while Dan tucks his own head onto Phil’s shoulder.

Phil’s glad to be held at that moment, he feels more than a little shaky, if he’s honest. Loving Dan had been a revelation in itself, this is so much more. He’s happy, of course he is, unbelievably so, but it also feels a little like the world has just rearranged itself around them, and he’s not sure where they’ll find firm ground. 

He trusts that they’ll find it though. Together.


End file.
